The Blank Canvas Octet & Orchestra - needs improvisers

The Blank Canvas Octet & Orchestra - Liverpool

The Liverpool based promoter of "free improvisation in music" Blank Canvas,

which recently returned to presenting bi-monthly concerts at the Ship & Mitre, Liverpool is pleased to announce the creation of a "house band" that will play at Blank Canvas events; it is to be called The Blank Canvas Octet. It is the house band, it is the support act, the main act usually being a visiting group. The Blank Canvas octet membership is drawn from a closed list of 15 improvisers, but only eight musicians play on the night. The target is to have a list of 24 improvisers.

The house band - The Blank Canvas Octet - will play "free improvised music" but also use the music system, "System 50:50" - for more information "System 50:50" click hereThere is no short term aim to explore contemporary compositional methods, e.g. Conduction, Cobra, graphic scores.

The Orchestra: There are similiar `octets` being developed in other regions, the long term concept is to bring them together to create performances under the name of: Blank Canvas Orchestra,This is highly speculative, but not unrealistic. It is also adds a long term aim to the project,

Frequency: The concerts are bi-monthly, these happen: the plan is to introduce bi-monthly rehearsals, ensemble development session, these are yet to happen. The combination of the private rehearsals and concerts results in monthly sessions.

Here is a list of musicians who have appeared in and with the Blank Canvas Octet, .

IAN SIMPSON, guitar

PAUL PIGNON [ Stockholm! ]

ROBIN HARTWELL

MARTIN HACKETT [ Oxford improvisers ]

RICHARD HARDING, guitar

PHIL MORTON, accidents and treatments

JULIA CADMAN, reeds, wind, voice

DAVID CANTER, bass clarinet

CLAYTON JACKSON, (Lancaster) electronics

ROB THORPE, guitar (Manchester)

ANDREW LESLIE HOOKER, no input mixer (Pandy Tudor)

PETER JONES, guitar

The Octet list is short in percussionists & string players, we are especially keen to hear from improvisers who use percussion and string instruments ( excluding guitars)

Lapsed members of the Octet: John Pearson, Adam Roberts, Yashashwi Sharma, Kristina Warren ( returned to the USA), PHIL LUCKING, trumpets, PHIL HARGREAVES,

To express an interest, to request more information, to communicate, go to the contact link on the side menu or complete the form below

Phil Morton

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